Jobs in Spain and Job Search Spain

JOBS IN SPAIN

This page is for people trying to find jobs in Spain. Our assumption in writing this page on searching for job vacancies in Spain is that you are not Spanish, you are most likely from the United Kingdom or America and you are planning on moving to Spain and therefore want to find out as much information on jobs in Spain - and even if possible to get a job offer in Spain before you make your move.

FINDING JOBS IN SPAIN IS DIFFICULT

When looking for a job in Spain you may need to lower your expectations of what type of job you can get. If you are moving to Spain and looking for a job then you are immediately at a disadvantage due to the language barrier.

Even if you speak fluent Spanish (Castellano) many regions of Spain have their own dialects - for example in the Costa Brava (Barcelona) area they primarily speak Catalan.

In any case competition for a job in Spain offering a contract which comes with an entitlement to medical care is intense. As a foreigner competing against Spanish nationals for jobs you are immediately at a disadvantage.

JOBS IN SPAIN - WAGES, PAY AND WORKING HOURS

If you are lucky in your search for finding a job in Spain you will then find that your wages and take home pay are much lower than equivalent jobs in other countries such as the United Kingdom or America. For example if you have a salary of £30,000 and you find an equivalent job position in Spain you may be paid about €20,000 - and although the cost of living in Spain is lower - it isn't that much lower!

Not only do jobs in Spain pay less you also tend to work longer hours. Most jobs in Spain start at around 9am some 10am with a long lunch break of two hours before resuming until 7pm or 8pm. While your job in Spain may have a long lunch hour for what is known as siesta time - if you have a young family then that is no consolation as you won't see them much until the weekends.

It's an unfortunate fact that many people who come to Spain searching for a job and better life end up finding a job that is low paid and comes with longer working hours than they used to work back home. Many people end up disillusioned and end up leaving Spain for financial reasons.

WHERE TO FIND JOBS IN SPAIN

If you are trying to get a job in Spain before you move to Spain then the Internet is your best way of finding a job. Spain does not have as many job recruitment agencies as other countries do so you are limited to searching for jobs on websites, in particular expat websites often have bulletin boards where job vacancies in Spain are posted.

When you are living in Spain you will find getting and searching for a job is much easier - although - we repeat our advice that good jobs in Spain are still thin on the ground. Most job vacancies in Spain are through word of mouth and in local newspapers.

You will find the best possibilities for finding jobs in Spain would be in the coastal areas which have large expat populations and therefore companies catering to the needs of these expats. These areas primarily are the Costa del Sol (Malaga area) and the Costa Blanca (Alicante area).

WHAT JOBS IN SPAIN AM I LIKELY TO GET?

First of all - when looking for a job in Spain you need to be flexible and be willing to change career direction entirely. Your best hope for finding a job in Spain would be at a company that needs people who speak English - for example a computer company who deal internationally or a Spanish property company that market to English buyers.

In fact most job vacancies in Spain for English speakers will be in the property market industry in the areas where expats live. There are many jobs in the Spanish property market - this includes sales positions which are almost always commission based as well as jobs for people in property maintenance companies.

Other typical jobs you are likely to find would be jobs that cater to the large expat population in Spain, these include: cleaning swimming pools, gardening jobs, villa cleaning jobs, bar jobs, hairdressing jobs, shop work in English goods shops, taxi service, driving jobs including removals, restaurant jobs such as chefs, waiters and waitresses, fitness jobs, beautician jobs, pet care jobs, computer services, business services such as graphic design, there are many English newspaper and magazines requiring writers and sales people etc - we hope this list gives you some idea of the types of jobs in Spain that are the most likely possibilities when you are job searching.

TEFL JOBS IN SPAIN - JOBS IN SPAIN TEACHING ENGLISH

Many people imagine they can easily get a job in Spain teaching English. Well you can especially if you have a teaching qualification such as TEFL but there are more people wanting teaching jobs than there are job vacancies and pay is very low as a result.

CONSTRUCTION JOBS IN SPAIN - JOBS IN SPAIN FOR TRADESMEN

This is by far one of the very best ways of getting a job in Spain. The boom in the property market has led to an explosion of new housing and renovations on older properties. With the amounts of United Kingdom residents buying property they like to deal with people who can speak English. If you are a builder, electrician, plumber or another construction type tradesman then you are likely to find work. Pay is likely to be in the region of €100-€130 a day.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 1
Have at least six months money as savings to live on while you try finding a job.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 2
Learn as much Spanish as possible BEFORE you move to Spain.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 3
Be prepared to turn your hand to anything to get a foothold in Spain.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 4
Be prepared to work longer hours.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 5
Be prepared to work for a lot less than you are used to.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 6
Learn a new skill, especially something practical and use it to get a job or start your own business.

GETTING A JOB IN SPAIN - TIP 7
If you have a skill consider starting your own business instead of looking for a job in Spain, then you are in control.

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